Nantou Forgoes Classroom Air Conditioners|裝冷氣要花費10億元 南投國中小不跟進
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Taiwan's climate is getting hotter and hotter, and many municipal leaders have decided to install air conditioners inside classrooms. However, Nantou County Magistrate Lin Ming-chen is going against the flow, deciding that the NT$1 billion cost is too high. He also believes children won't be able to adapt to environmental changes if they get used to the comfort of air conditioners from an early age.
Children play happily during a science summer camp. It is quite hot inside the classroom, even though several large fans are already on full power. Many city mayors and county magistrates recently promised to install air conditioners inside elementary, junior high and senior high classrooms to ensure a comfortable learning environment for students. Meanwhile, Nantou County Magistrate Lin Ming-chen has decided against installing air conditioners.
It may be harmful to students' health if we learn inside air-conditioned classrooms and then go outside to play when there is a big difference between indoor and outdoor temperatures.
Nantou County not only considered the health of students, but also the cost. The Department of Education says the county has 169 public elementary and junior high schools, and none of them have air conditioning. It would cost at least NT$1 billion to install air conditioners at all the schools. Moreover, there are future electricity costs to consider, even though they cannot be estimated at present. Together, these would be an enormous burden on the county's finances. In addition, installing air conditioners runs counter to the government's energy-saving and carbon emissions reduction policies. Many Nantou residents say they support this decision.
I think this is something you just have to get used to. Everyone is always talking about being more environmentally friendly, but is anyone actually doing anything? That's why I believe this decision is for the best.
Meanwhile, some teachers point out schools have different situations, and the evaluation standard should take these into account.
Some schools may be at higher elevations, or simply have no need for air conditioning. However, for schools at lower elevations, air conditioning is necessary, especially when the climate is changing so rapidly.
Xinfeng Elementary School Academic Director Duan Wen-shan adds many of Nantou's schools were rebuilt following the 921 earthquake. However, oftentimes sun exposure and ventilation were not taken into consideration during the rebuilding. There are some classrooms that are stifling hot, and only schools located at higher elevations have cool and refreshing classrooms. The department says it will work to improve classroom ventilation to ensure students have comfortable learning environments.
